With a deep sigh, Beth sat down and put the box and the scarf on the seat next to her. She supposed she should have expected as much; the assistant at Tiffany’s had given her the same spiel. These women, while playing a part in the whole… charade… seemed to know just as much (or indeed little) about the grand scheme as Beth did.
She decided to accept Lin’s offer of a flute of prosecco. God knew, she needed a drink. As the bubbles hit her tongue, she gave a bittersweet smile – the beverage always reminded her of her and Danny’s time in Venice, sipping prosecco in the back of the water taxi. Back when they were still everything to each other.
And then Trevor spoke, lifting her out of her melancholy. ‘Wait. Wasn’t Marilyn Monroe married to Joe DiMaggio at one point?’
Jodi took a sip of her own drink and wrinkled her nose. ‘Briefly. Their marriage was doomed from the start. Barely lasted nine months.’
Beth looked at her friend. ‘How do you know that?’
She smiled wickedly. ‘I happen to be an expert in divorce, OK? But what does that have to do with anything?’ she asked, turning to Trevor.
‘Well,’ her partner replied thoughtfully, ‘I was just thinking. The Yankees hat… the name of this boat –The Seven Year Itch. And heck, even that scarf, wasn’t it in that movie that Marilyn wore that sexy white dress?’
Beth’s eyes grew wide. Was Trevor on to something? Was this indeed yet another movie-related clue?
‘Think about it. Marilyn, Joe DiMaggio, that movie, those words written on the scarf – it has to connect to something with that movieThe Seven Year Itch.’
Jodi smiled broadly. ‘Such a smart guy,’ she cooed, giving him a proud kiss on the cheek.
But Beth was already working it over in her head. The scarf was indeed similar to the material of Marilyn’s dress. And the boat – that was the name of the movie in question. Then the Yankees hat, perhaps a reference to Marilyn’s husband, Joe DiMaggio. It all meant something. It was supposed to point her somewhere, she knew that now.
But where?
Then there was that quote,It sort of cools the ankles, doesn’t it?That was the part of the clue that still needed to be solved.
Maybe it was a quote from the movie? It was certainly the best place to start, she decided.
While she’d seenThe Seven Year Itch,it had many been years ago and nothing she’d found today, apart from the scarf bearing a resemblance to Marilyn’s dress, stood out for her in any way.
She needed to familiarise herself with the film, figure out what the clues meant as a whole and where she was supposed to go next.
She also needed to figure out how Lin might be connected to Ryan Buchanan, or the Tiffany’s assistant, or any of these people that had so far been finagled into helping with all this. For reasons Beth had yet to determine.
But first things first.
‘Sorry, but I need to go,’ she said, standing up. ‘I have a movie to watch.’
Chapter 16
When Beth returned to the apartment late on Saturday afternoon she found Danny once again absent. He was obviously still in Queens. She picked up her phone with the intention of texting him or calling him to find out when he’d be back, but then decided against it.
It was because, she supposed, the action felt duplicitous. She had already told him that little white lie about what she’d been doing that afternoon, and while it wasn’t as if she had been out having an affair, she was almost certain now that these clues, this quest… was connected to Ryan. And so continuing with the hunt felt wrong in itself.
It had to be him, didn’t it? Notwithstanding that there were enough hints amongst the clues themselves, who else would realistically go to such trouble for her? And, quite possibly as he’d intended, as she worked to decipher every clue of this treasure hunt, Beth’s feelings for her work colleague continued to grow – while her time spent with Danny seemed to diminish.
At this point, Beth was so confused she couldn’t think straight.
Picking up Brinkley from the floor, she nuzzled the little dog and settled onto the couch. She reached for the remote control, and summoned Netflix on the TV. ‘We’re going to watch a movie, boy,’ she cooed. ‘And maybe, with a little luck, I’ll figure out this clue – and what I’m supposed to do next.’
She scrolled through the options menu and then entered in the movie title she was looking for.The Seven Year Itch.‘OK, settle in, this is an oldie but a goodie. Haven’t watched it for a very long time, but by all accounts it’s an absolute classic.’
Brinkley listened to his mistress for a moment before determining he wasn’t interested. He yawned and closed his eyes, comfortable and content on Beth’s lap. ‘Well,’ she said, scratching the little dog’s head, ‘all right, sleep all you want, but you’re the one missing out.’
No sooner had the opening credits begun than the front door of the apartment opened and in came Danny. Beth turned to look at him and was immediately struck by his appearance. He looked very dishevelled, and he almost paled when he saw her, as if he hadn’t been expecting she’d be back yet.
‘Oh, hey… I didn’t realise you would be home,’ he said, running a hand through his hair. ‘I figured you’d still be out with Jodi.’
Beth paused the movie. ‘I just got home a little while ago. I hope that’s OK?’ she said with a slight barb in her tone, given that he was hardly greeting her unexpected appearance with open arms. ‘How was Queens?’
